Langs Supreme Review

“Great Value for Money”

Country: Scotland

Region: Highlands

Brand: Langs Supreme
Blended, Bottled and Matured by: Lang Brothers (Ian MacLeod)
Distilled at: Glengoyne

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS

ABV: 40%

Colour: Full Gold

Nose: Light but Pleasant with Sweet Barley, Apple Pie with Raisins, Peach Cake, light Sherry, Nuts, Citrus Peel, Grass and other light Floral tones, Cinnamon, Oak, Caramel, light Vanilla and hints of Sulphur an Salted Butter. The (Grain) Alcohol is nicely integrated and the Grass and Apple Pie notes are pretty similar to those I found in the Glengoyne 10 Years. 

Taste: Light but Creamy with Sweet Barley, Fruit Cake, Citrus Peel, Oak, Grass, light Chocolate, light Vanilla, Cinnamon, light Ginger and light Pepper.  

Finish: Middle-Long, Sweet and Creamy with Sweet Barley, Fruitcake, Citrus Peel, Dried Fruit, Cinnamon, Toffee, Mint, light Licorice, light Pepper and Ginger.

Langs Supreme accepts a little Water but it does become a bit too light for my taste. 

Rating: 81.5

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

General Remarks: This Blend was first produced in 1861 by Alexander and Gavin Lang. Today it contains 25 Malt - and Grain Whiskies with Glengoyne at its heart. The Malt content is high for a Blend at around 40%. Mainly Highland and Speyside Malts are included. The whiskies used are usually at least 5 years old and are married for around 9 months before being bottled. In 1984 Langs was granted a Royal Warrant by the Queen mother. Today Ian MacLeod brings two expressions to the market, the 5 Years Supreme and the 12 years. The miniature I'm tasting today however does not carry an age statement so I must assume it was bottled a couple of years ago. Langs Supreme 5 Y is available at around 30 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good and above expectations!

Conclusion: When compared to your average Blended Scotch, Langs Supreme shows the positive effects of the higher Malt content. As a result there's a better balance between the Sharp Grain Alcohol and the Softer Malt Spirit. The Grass and Apple Pie notes reveal the presence of young Glengoyne in the Blend. I'm not quite sure if the NAS expression I'm tasting today is similar - or equal to the Langs Supreme 5 Year old that is available in the market today. If that's so, the Langs Supreme has a great Value for Money ratio. To be sure, I will try to get samples of both the 5 and 12 Years. In any case, I was pleasantly surprised by Langs Supreme Blended Scotch!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    March 16, 2015

Strathclyde 1988 Review

“A Story of Varnish and Cooked Veggies”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Lowlands (Glasgow)

Brand: Strathclyde 1988 (Exclusive Grains Series) 

Type: Single Grain Whisky

Age: 26 Years

ABV: 54.6 %

Colour: Full Gold 

Nose: This is only my second Single Grain Whisky. I liked the Dumbarton 1986 I tasted last year. But the Nose of this Strathclyde is not making it easy for me. I find a strong note of Varnish to begin with accompanied by Charred Oak, Grain Alcohol, Nut Shells, Toast and Margarine and Wet Removal Boxes. Not exactly Aromas that turn me on. Be sure to give this Strathclyde enough time in the glass. After a while I get some Herbal notes, a touch of Citrus, a little Vanilla, Toffee, Cream, Mint and some Corn Syrup. It's not quite enough to save the day! As you may know, I always taste the Whiskies on two separate days before posting the Notes. On the Second day the Varnish note was less present. But instead I found a strong Cooked Vegetables/Potatoes note as well as a little Butter and a few Raspberries. The Rating for the Nose therefore is an average between the Varnish and the Cooked Vegetables days. The Cooked Vegetables note was similar to the one I so often find in the Single Malts from Jura.

Palate: Sweet Grain, Sharp Alcohol, Varnish, Cream, Toffee, Dried Herbs, Coconut, Menthol, Licorice, Aniseed, Cinnamon, Pepper and a hint of Nectarine. 

Finish: Middle-Long, Creamy and Spicy with Coconut, Dried Herbs, Licorice, Menthol, Varnish, Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Metallic notes and a hint of Nectarine. A tad Bitter in the end. A little Alcohol Burn as well.

I added a bit of Water and the Nose becomes a little more friendly as the Varnish retreats. You get a bit more Grain and a hint of Raspberries. But Palate and Finish do not benefit from added Water.  

Rating: 80.5

Nose: 20 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 20

General Remarks: The Strathclyde Distillery was founded in 1927 by Seager Evans & Co on the banks of the river Clyde. It changed hands two times before Pernod Ricard from France bought the distillery in 1975. Today it basically produces Grain Whisky for their Chivas Regal Brand. Only on rare occasions small quantities reach the market as Single Grain Whisky. The Strathclyde I'm tasting today was distilled on the 9th of June, 1988 and was bottled at Cask Strength in 2014 by the Creative Whisky Company. It is Naturally Coloured and Not Chill-Filtered. It matured in an Ex-Bourbon Cask with # 62107 selected by David Kirk. It costs around 110 US Dollars (March 2015).

Drinking Experience Neat: Disappointing 

Conclusion: This Strathclyde is not an easy Whisky to judge and rate. First of all it's important to give this Whisky lots of time to develop in the Glass. On day one I opened the sample and poured half of it in the glass. After an hour or so I started Nosing and the main Aroma I found was Varnish. On the second day I poured the other half of the sample in the same glass (rinsed with water the day before) and this time the main Aromas I found were Cooked Vegetables and Cooked Potatoes. Palate and Finish were more consistent during the two days. In any case I don't want to smell lots of Varnish and/or Cooked Veggies when I'm nosing whisky. On the Palate and in the Finish it's Sweet Grain and Alcohol that dominate accompanied by Charred Oak, Herbs and Spices. Not quite my idea of a great Whisky. I was certainly disappointed with this Strathclyde and I am glad I didn't spend 110 US Dollars on a full bottle. 

Jan van den Ende                                                              March 12, 2015

Mortlach 1994 Malts of Scotland Review

“Mature Sherried Speysider With A Few Flaws”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Speyside

Brand: Mortlach 1994 (Malts of Scotland)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 20 Years

ABV: 53.6 %

Colour: Mahogany

Nose: Full and Rich with Sherry, Varnish, Rubber, Orange Flavoured Dark Chocolate, German Butter Biscuits (Butter Kekse), Malt, Oak, Honey, Dried Fruit, light Leather, Dusty Road, Nuts, Butterscotch and a hint of Espresso. I don't find significant Meaty notes that are so common in Mortlach. While the Alcohol is quite strong, it's nicely integrated. After a while I find some Fruity notes like Ripe Banana and Pear in Heavy Syrup.

Palate: Strong, Spicy and Very Sweet Delivery with Charred Oak, Nuts, Orange Flavoured Chocolate, Varnish, Rubber, Marzipan, Vanilla, Tobacco, Buttered Toast, light Leather, Cardamom, Nutmeg and Pepper.

Finish: Quite Long. Sweet but very Dry towards the end with Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Vanilla, Varnish, Rubber, Espresso, Charred Oak, Tobacco, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Pepper. The slightest hint of Meat after five minutes or so.

I added a bit of Water and you get more Varnish on the Nose as well as hints of Meat and Herbs. On the Palate I find Liqueur flavoured Pralines, while the Finish becomes a lot shorter. This Single Malt allows you to experiment with a little Water.

Rating: 86

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: The Mortlach I am reviewing today was distilled in 1994 and bottled at Cask Strength in 2014 by Malts of Scotland. It aged in an Ex-Sherry Hogshead # MoS 14046. This Single Malt is Uncoloured and not Chill-Filtered. It won't be very easy to find and costs on average 140 US Dollars. Van Zuylen in Loosduinen and/or Whiskybase in Rotterdam might still have it. 

The Mortlach Distillery was founded around 1824 by James Findlater and was the first distillery in Dufftown, Banffshire. Mortlach distills mainly for Blends. The current owners (Diageo) are in the process of increasing capacity while at the same time promoting Mortlach again as a Single Malt.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: The Mortlach 1994 by Malts of Scotland is a rich and fully matured Sherried Speysider. The Cask has left the Spirit with a wonderful Mahogany like colour. It's quite sweet and I like the Chocolate, Orange and Butter Biscuits Aromas. The ABV is high but correct and the Alcohol is nicely integrated. There are two reasons why I didn't give it a higher score. Firstly because of the very clear Varnish and Rubber notes. This need not be a big problem for most Whisky lovers as they might argue that they are simply a part of the total picture. But I found them a bit too present for my personal taste. And, to be honest, I also missed the Meaty notes! Despite these little flaws you might want to try out this Mortlach as it's certainly reasonably priced for a 20 Years old Single Malt.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      March 9, 2015

Six Isles Review

“Affordable Gateway to Island Whiskies”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Islands

Brand: The Six Isles 

Type: Blended Malt Whisky

Age: NAS 

ABV: 43 %

Colour: Pale Straw/White Wine

Nose: Light Cold Smoke, light Rubber, Wet Clay, light Tar, Salted Pork Meat on the BBQ, light Iodine, Brine, Lime, Pizza Dough, Buttered Toast and Honey, Malt, Heather and Toffee. There's a Young feel to the spirit, yet the Aromas are quite inoffensive. It's all very laid-back and even a little Dusty. Ideal if you are just starting to sniff and taste Smoky whiskies. It's difficult to ascertain the Islay component on the Nose. The Wet Clay reminds me more of a Ledaig really. And finally, after a while in the glass, I'm getting a light Cooked Vegetables/Potatoes Aroma that instantly reminds me of Jura. The Alcohol is nicely integrated.

Palate: Young and Sweet with a touch of Talisker Pepper. I find light Iodine, Campfire Smoke, Wet Clay, Tar, light Rubber, Salted Pork, Saw Dust, Ashes, Burnt Grain, Toffee, Honey and Lemon. 

Finish: Middle-Long. Sweet at first but Dry and slightly Bitter in the end with Cold Smoke, Ashes, Salted Pork and Fish, light Iodine, light Oak, light Vanilla and a sprinkle of Lemon and Mint.     

With added Water it gets a bit Sweeter but it loses balance. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 84  

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21

General Remarks: The Six Isles is a Blended Malt Whisky from Ian Macleod and bottled by William Maxwell & Co.Ltd. It contains six Single Malts, one from each of the Scottish islands that produce Whisky namely Islay, Skye, Orkney, Arran, Jura and Mull. The Six Isles is Naturally Coloured, has a decent ABV and is Not Chill-Filtered. All of that is positive and it's still pleasantly priced at around 45 US Dollars (March 2015).

Drinking Experience Neat: Good   

Conclusion: An interesting and Well-Balanced Blended Malt that seems perfect for those of you who start exploring Smoky Whiskies. It's a very easy ride from Nose to Finish. As for the components I would say that there's very little Islay influence to be noted as far as the Peat is concerned. In fact, the Clay reminds me more of Ledaig. There's certainly some Arran, Jura and Highland Park in the mix as well as a touch of Talisker. I've tasted quite some Smoky Blends in the last couple of months and I didn't find any of them really convincing. But this Blended Malt is really well-balanced even being young and without significant Wood contact. Nice combination of the Young Sweet Spirit, the Sea, the Honey, the Clay, the Smoke and just enough Pepper and Wood for balance. It's too light for die-hard Smoke fans but a great way to discover Scottish Island whiskies. As such I recommend it.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      March 5, 2015